Report under the Article 17 of the Habitats Directive European Environment

Period 2007-2012 Agency

European Topic Centre
on Biological Diversity

6510 Lowland hay meadows (Alopecurus pratensis,

Sanguisorba officinalis)

Habitat code 6510

Priority No
Habitat group Grasslands
Regions Alpine, Atlantic, Black Sea, Boreal, Continental, Mediterranean,
Pannonian, Steppic

Haymeadows at low altitudes which are mown after most of the plants have flowered, they
may be lightly fertilised but frequent or heavy fertilisation quickly reduces the species
diversity. These meadows are important for a wide range of invertebrates as well as plants.
This habitat is widespread in central and northern Europe, also occurring, but more rarely, in
the Mediterranean region.

The conservation status of this habitat is generally unfavourable: Unfavourable-bad (and

deteriorating) in five out of eight regions (Alpine, Atlantic, Boreal, Continental and
Mediterranean and usually due to several countries) and unfavourable-inadequate but stable
only in the Pannonian region (due to Hungary). It is favourable only in the Black Sea and
Steppic regions (only Bulgaria and Romania). However the areas reported by Romania
appear overestimated when compared with the map data and the Standard Data Forms for
sites where this habitat occurs. The change from Unfavourable-inadequate to Unfavourable-
bad (and deteriorating) in the Continental region is considered genuine although partly due to
changes in methodology.

The major pressures and threats are modification of cultivation practices (agricultural
intensification in mowing or grazing and grassland removal for arable land but also
abandonment), cultivation itself and fertilisation and use of chemicals, urbanised areas and
their development, forest planting on open ground and invasive non-native species.

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Report under the Article 17 of the Habitats Directive

Assessment of conservation status at the

European biogeographical level

Conservation status (CS) of parameters

Current Trend in % in Previous Reason for
Region Structure
Future CS CS region CS change
Range Area &
prospects
Functions

ALP U1 U1 U1 U2 U2 - 11 U1 Not genuine

ATL U1 U2 U2 U2 U2 - 17 U2
BLS FV FV FV FV FV = 0.2 XX Not genuine

BOR U1 U2 U2 U2 U2 - 16 U2
CON U1 U2 U2 U2 U2 - 44 U1 Genuine

MED U1 U1 XX U2 U2 - 7 XX Not genuine

PAN FV U1 U1 U1 U1 = 5 U2 Not genuine

STE FV FV FV FV FV = 0.04 XX Not genuine

See the endnote for more information i

Assessment of conservation status at the Member State level

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Assessment of conservation status at the Member State level

The map shows both Conservation Status and distribution using a 10 km x 10 km grid.
Conservation status is assessed at biogeographical level. Therefore the representation in
each grid cell is only illustrative.

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Conservation status (CS) of parameters

Current Trend in % in Previous Reason for
MS Region Structure
Future CS CS region CS change
Range Area &
prospects
functions

AT ALP FV U1 U1 U2 U2 x 25.2 U2

BG ALP FV FV FV FV FV 4.1

DE ALP U1 U2 U1 U1 U2 - 1.7 U2 Genuine

ES ALP U1 U1 XX U2 U2 - 6.7 XX Changed method

FR ALP FV U1 U1 U2 U2 - 8.5 U1 Genuine

IT ALP U1 U1 U2 U2 U2 - 19.2 U1 Changed method

PL ALP FV U1 U1 U1 U1 - 3.6 U1

RO ALP FV FV FV FV FV 0.4

SI ALP FV U2 U1 U2 U2 - 3.4 U2 Genuine

SK ALP FV FV FV FV FV 27.3 FV
BE ATL FV U2 U2 U2 U2 - 8.9 U2 Genuine

DE ATL U2 U2 U2 U2 U2 - 16.9 U2 Genuine

ES ATL U1 U1 U1 U2 U2 - 22.3 XX Changed method

FR ATL FV U2 U2 U2 U2 - 41.2 U2

IE ATL U2 U2 U2 U2 U2 = 1.7 U2

NL ATL U2 U2 U1 U1 U2 = 2.9 U2
PT ATL FV FV U1 U1 U1 - 0.4 U1

UK ATL FV U1 U2 U2 U2 + 5.6 U2+

BG BLS FV FV FV FV FV 95.8

RO BLS FV FV FV FV FV 4.2

EE BOR FV FV FV FV FV 7.2 FV

FI BOR U2 U2 U2 U2 U2 - 2.0 U2-

LT BOR FV U1 U1 U1 U1 = 24.6 U1 Genuine

LV BOR FV U1 U2 U2 U2 - 22.2 U1 Better data

SE BOR FV U2 U2 U2 U2 - 44.0 U2-

AT CON FV U1 U1 U2 U2 x 4.8 U2
BE CON FV U2 U2 U2 U2 - 2.3 U2 Genuine

BG CON FV FV U1 U1 U1 = 4.2

CZ CON FV FV U2 U1 U2 + 14.6 U2 Changed method

DE CON U1 U2 U1 U2 U2 - 45.9 U1 Genuine

FR CON U1 U2 U2 U2 U2 - 10.8 U2
IT CON U1 U1 U1 U1 U1 = 6.1 U1 Changed method

LU CON FV U1 U2 U2 U2 - 0.5 U1 Genuine

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Report under the Article 17 of the Habitats Directive

Conservation status (CS) of parameters

Current Trend in % in Previous Reason for
MS Region Structure
Future CS CS region CS change
Range Area &
prospects
functions

PL CON FV U1 U1 U1 U1 - 6.9 U1

RO CON FV FV FV FV FV 0.5

SE CON FV U2 U2 U2 U2 - 1.5 U2-

SI CON FV U2 U1 U2 U2 - 1.8 U2 Genuine

ES MED U1 U1 XX U2 U2 - 47.1 XX Changed method

FR MED FV U2 U2 U2 U2 - 24.2 U2

GR MED U1 U1 FV U1 U1 0.2 U1

IT MED FV FV U1 U1 U1 - 23.4 FV Changed method

PT MED FV FV U1 U1 U1 - 5.1 U1

CZ PAN FV U1 U1 FV U1 = 4.9 U2 Better data

HU PAN FV U1 U1 U1 U1 = 78.4 U2 Changed method

RO PAN FV FV FV FV FV 0.9

SK PAN FV U1 FV FV U1 = 15.8 U1
RO STE FV FV FV FV FV 100.0

Knowing that not all changes in conservation status between the reporting periods were
genuine, Member States were asked to give the reasons for changes in conservation status.
Bulgaria and Romania only joined the EU in 2007 and Greece did not report for 2007-12 so
no reason is given for change for these countries. Greek data shown above is from 2001-06.

Main pressures and threats reported by Member States

Member States were asked to report the 20 most important threats and pressures using an
agreed hierarchical list which can be found on the Article 17 Reference Portal. Pressures are
activities which are currently having an impact on the habitats and threats are activities
expected to have an impact in the near future. Pressures and threats were ranked in three
classes ‘high, medium and low importance’; the tables below only show threats and pressures
classed as ‘high’, for some habitats there were less than ten threats or pressures reported as
highly important.

Ten most frequently reported 'highly important' pressures

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Ten most frequently reported 'highly important' pressures

Code Activity Frequency

A03 Mowing or cutting grasslands 24
A02 Modification of cultivation practices 22
A08 Fertilisation in agriculture 16
A04 Grazing by livestock 12
A01 Agricultural cultivation 6
E01 Urbanisation and human habitation 5
B01 Afforestation 3
A07 Use of 'pesticides' in agriculture 2
E02 Industrial or commercial areas 2
I01 Invasive alien species 2

Ten most frequently reported 'highly important' threats

Code Activity Frequency

A03 Mowing or cutting grasslands 23
A02 Modification of cultivation practices 21
A08 Fertilisation in agriculture 15
A04 Grazing by livestock 12
A01 Agricultural cultivation 8
E01 Urbanisation and human habitation 5
B01 Afforestation 3
E02 Industrial or commercial areas 3
A06 Crops of annuals & perennials (non-timber) 2
A07 Use of 'pesticides' in agriculture 2

Proportion of population covered by the Natura 2000 network

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Proportion of population covered by the Natura 2000 network

Member States were asked to report the area of the habitat which is covered by the Natura
2000 network. The percentage of the habitat area covered by the network was estimated by
comparing the area within the network and the total area in the biogeographical/marine
region.

Percentage of coverage by Natura 2000 sites in biogeographical/marine region

ALP ATL BLS BOR CON MED PAN STE

AT 22 31
BE 20 33
BG 61 32 68
CZ 16 26
DE 70 x 48
EE 52
ES 26 10 36
FI 100
FR 45 15 x 100
HU 79
IE 56
IT 12 9 76
LT 27
LU 16
LV 36
NL 80
PL 9 18
PT x x
RO 34 59 86 75 78
SE 23 26
SI 79 31
SK 15 15
UK 44

See the endnotes for more information ii

Most frequently reported conservation measures

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Most frequently reported conservation measures

Member States were asked to report up to 20 conservation measures being implemented for
this habitat using an agreed list which can be found on the Article 17 Reference Portal.
Member States were further requested to highlight up to five most important (‘highly
important’) measures; the table below only shows measures classed as ‘high’, for many
habitats there were less than ten measures reported as highly important.

Ten most frequently reported ‘highly important’ conservation measures

Code Measure Frequency

2.1 Maintaining grasslands and other open habitats 37
6.1 Establish protected areas/sites 20
2.0 Other agriculture-related measures 9
6.3 Legal protection of habitats and species 6
2.2 Adapting crop production 5
6.4 Manage landscape features 5
4.2 Restoring/improving the hydrological regime 4
6.0 Other spatial measures 4
Regulating/Management exploitation of natural resources on
9.1 4
land
4.0 Other wetland-related measures 2

This information is derived from the Member State national reports submitted to the European
Commission under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive in 2013 and covering the period 2007-
2012. More detailed information, including the MS reports, is available at:
http://bd.eionet.europa.eu/article17/reports2012/habitat/summary/?
group=Grasslands&period=3&subject=6510

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iAssessment of conservation status at the European biogeographical level: Current

Conservation Status (Current CS) shows the status for the reporting period 2007-2012,
Previous Conservation Status (Previous CS) for the reporting period 2000-2006. Reason for
change in conservation status between the reporting periods indicates whether the changes
in the status were genuine or not genuine. Previous Conservation Status was not assessed for
Steppic, Black Sea and Marine Black Sea regions. For these regions the Previous status is
therefore considered as ‘unknown’. The percentage of the habitat area occurring within the
biogeographical/marine region (% in region) is calculated based on the area of GIS
distribution.

ii
Percentage of coverage by Natura 2000 sites in biogeographical/marine region: In some
cases the population size within the Natura 2000 network has been estimated using a
different methodology to the estimate of overall population size and this can lead to
percentage covers greater than 100%. In such case the value has been given as 100% and
highlighted with an asterisk (*). The value ‘x’ indicates that the Member State has not reported
the habitat area and/or the coverage by Natura 2000. No information is available for Greece.
The values are only provided for regions, in which the occurrence of the habitat has been
reported by the Member States.

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